1963 Gator Bowl

1963 Gator Bowl
Air Force Falcons North Carolina Tar Heels
(7–3) (8–2)
Independent ACC
0 35
Head coach: 
Ben Martin		 Head coach: 
Jim Hickey
APCoaches
NR19
1234 Total
Air Force 0000 0
North Carolina 61487 35
DateDecember 28, 1963
Season1963
StadiumGator Bowl Stadium
LocationJacksonville, Florida
MVPKen Willard (RB, North Carolina) & Dave Sicks (FB, Air Force)[1]
RefereeJack Vest
Attendance50,018
United States TV coverage
NetworkCBS
AnnouncersLindsey Nelson
Terry Brennan
Jim Simpson
Gator Bowl
 < 1962  1965 (Jan) > 

The 1963 Gator Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Air Force Falcons and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Background

This was the Falcons' first bowl game since 1959. The Tar Heels were co-champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, which was their first conference title since the 1949 Southern Conference title. This was their first bowl game in 1950.

Game summary

  • UNC – Willard 1-yard run (Kick failed), 2:34 remaining
  • UNC – Edge 6-yard run (Pass failed), 9:40 remaining
  • UNC – Robinson 5-yard pass from Black (Robinson pass from Black), 4:29 remaining
  • UNC – Kesler 1-yard run (Lacey pass from Edge), 4:44 remaining
  • UNC – Black 5-yard run (Chapman kick), 13:19 remaining

Willard ran for 94 yards on 18 carries.[2][3]

Aftermath

Air Force did not return to a bowl game until 1971, nor win one until 1982. North Carolina did not return to a bowl game until 1970.

The morning after the game, there was a fire at the Hotel Roosevelt in downtown Jacksonville, with 22 dying.

Statistics

Statistics Air Force North Carolina
First downs 14 23
Rushing yards 95 251
Passing yards 165 119
Punts–average 4–40.0 6–36.0
Fumbles–lost 3–2 2–0
Penalties–yards 3–42 3–35

References

  1. ^ "1963". Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Further reading


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